My Favorite Finish For A Guitar's Fretboard
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- In this video, I explain why my favorite finish for guitar fretboards is boiled linseed oil. Help support my channel:
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What an amazing, intelligent, coherent & common sense explanation to putting on a 1st Class fretboard finish on your guitar. Thank you good Sir!
Yes! Thank him. And thank you for thanking him.
My brother and I used boiled linseed oil in his Tallahassee music store back in the early '70s, and it worked fine for us. We coated a LOT of fingerboards with it!!
This is good to know as I use boiled linseed oil on my rosewood and maple fretboards, the reason is that when I was younger and doing my joinery apprenticeship one of the older guys told me to always treat maple with a bit of linseed oil, and it stuck with me for nearly 25years now.
Plus I love the smell of linseed oil
Chris, so glad I found this today! It does indeed answer the question I was going to ask after watching the other video you mentioned about guitar neck finishes. Off to get some boiled linseed oil now! 🙂 Excellent channel, very well presented and helping me a lot!
Thanks Chris. Extremely informative and timely for me.
man. this was great. I learned a ton. Thank you for uploading! I will 100% be trying this out on my neck. big thumbs up and sharing.
Currently scalloping a guitar neck, thanks for the clear and concise info!
thank you for compiling years of experience and information into a video for us newbies !!!
I love your chanel so much! Thx for taking time to do those videos and to share your knoledge. I use boiled linseed oil on my necks thx to you, it's awesome 👍
thanks for the video. you always seem to have a way of explaining and making it seem easy. Thanks for that.
Thanks for watching!
Great info. Thanks for making quality informed videos.
Thanks! Incredible information like usual!
Hi Chris, excellent, thanks for your video and information. I will now be using boiled linseed oil on my new build. Thank you.
So glad I found your video, I have a dulcimer kit and its all unfinished wood and the fret board is walnut I did'nt want to put anything on it that would mess up the fret board, thank you now off to get BLO
Thanks Chris, great content!
Great video. Very informative. Thank you.
Thanks for the in depth explanation. Was always wondering how to maintain a maple neck with no finish.
I have some pretty grimy fretboards, but that's just me. Thank you for making these videos. They're pleasant to watch and extremely informative. I'm just getting started on the DIY guitar builds and boiled linseed oil it shall be.
I just missed u live but thanks this is a good subject
Very informative! Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
My pleasure!
I love this channel.
Thank you! This was very helpful.
I'm so glad!
Thank you sir..i just stumbled on to you ...i love your way of explaining things ...your the Steve Vai of this ..thank you..Chriss Starr..
Welcome aboard!
Chris - I'm so thankful to have found your videos. Beyond educational. They are inspirational. Be creative, be curious, be patient, be organized, don't fear the reaper (ok, maybe a bit much there). So thanks. My question - Does this process for the fretboard also include the 1500 grit wet sand step? Sorry if this has already been asked and answered....
It can if you want it to. No rule for this.
Nice work cool shirt designs
Such well presented info. Thanks for your work! And that tru oil teaser is serious - I want to know what you think about it! I’ve finished two electric guitars entirely with it and had a nice (if time intensive) experience. Also, my first builds, so my ignorance is large - I just didn’t want to jump into spray technology off the bat. Make the tru oil video! : )
Very interesting and helpful video. I didn't know about linseed oil. I like that it doesn't color the fretboard. About dirty, grimy guitars at around 13:56 : That's something a lot of guitarists going for maple fretboards actually desire. They want to get the grimy, blotched looking fretboard that shows the play wear. I personally like that, too. Though, I won't get rid of the satin finish on my necks just to achieve that. But when a refret is eventually needed, I will opt for a linseed oil finish instead of a satin laquer finish. :)
Well this should be good, and I think I want to build one of your guitars , you have a great channel , I learn a lot 👍
You should!
Thanks so much for this in depth explanation on this topic. I work on guitars but strictly as a hobby and for friends guitars, I am no professional by any means…
I have a bass neck I’ve been up in the air about deciding on a finish and I’m going to go with your idea here and simply apply a few thin coats of the boiled linseed oil 👍
PS ~ great channel and very informative to say the very least.
Glad it was helpful!
Exactly. I just watched your video on finishing a neck, the one you are obviously referring to, and I came to this to find out about fretboards. I'll be doing one soon (flame maple) and would love to not have to spray, but I do want a gloss on the fingerboard and front of the headstock. I hope you made the video you referred to at the end, I'll look for it now. I want to find out what issues you are concerned about.
I use Waterlox polymerized tung oil. Love it. Thanks again for your informations.
Waterlox isn’t polymerized. It’s resin modified, which means the oil has been blended with polymers. Nothing wrong with that, but not the same nevertheless.
@@HighlineGuitars Thanks for the clarification! :)
Oil feels great, once you try it you can't go back. Thanks for sharing!
I love using Osmo oil poly x on necks and fretboards designed for hardwood floor finishing real easy to wipe on and it goes off rock hard looks very cool too. Comes in loads of cool colours as well 😁
I may be giving this a try for an upcoming build. Of course a video will cover the process.
Great idea. Thank you.
To extend the shelf life of drying oil, when you are finished, spray a touch of Dust-Off in the can before capping. It displaces the oxygen, and prevents polymerization in the can. Dust-Off is a mix of flourocarbons and will not harm the oil.
Great idea. I'll have to try this.
I’ve worked in research labs that had a trick for this. In our lab we would flood a container with Nitrogen gas until it displaced the lighter, more volatile, components of air in hopes of stalling oxidation so reactions would happen more consistently. While we were waiting for our main objectives to yield, the real science began. Ha! It was a kind of game to see who could find a more perishable item and preserve it. Cut apples were my favorite but a friend kept yogurt on a countertop for a strangely long time too.
We had access to lab grade gasses but I’ve been told you can find them at local Air Gas supply (ask for help on what regulators you’ll need to bleed it out-not a pressurized nozzle).
All this works because Nitrogen gas is heavier than other air components and will displace Oxygen-pushing them up and out-leaving only trace amounts of the pesky oxidizers. I bet it would be cheaper than dust-off if you use it a year or two.
Hey! Very informative. I am in the process of making my first neck. I dont like the feel of a lacquer neck either. I Ike a natural smooth feel. I am definitely going to to try your method. Thanks for the instruction and explanation!
I'm currently building a Yingway Woundstring strat. Got the scalloped neck if from Chinee. Off to Loew's today to buy some boiled lindseed oil. Gonna give it a shot.
I bought a '64 made J-50 Gibson in spring of '65 . The store that sold it to me said that to take care of the fret board in the. dry climate of Northern California where I was in the service and stationed there , I should apply a bit of boiled linseed oil once every few months or when I would change strings. He told me how to do it. So I went to a hardware store and bought a small can. It was enough to last me well into my 70s, which I was not. To make a story shorter, I put a coat on my guitar fret board and wiped off the excess. I did not ever leave it to dry for several days putting on additional coats. One luthier I follow tells how to apply it, and I did it that way for many decades. I always kept my finger nails clipped short as well. The rosewood FB was grateful .
Tried & True Danish Oil is a 100% polymerized linseed oil that contains no VOCs and can be applied straight out of the can without a solvent. They recommend waiting at least 8 hours between coats which isn't bad for linseed oil.
I built a guitar kit and finished it in tru oil. Was great for the body but I just didn't like the feel of the neck even after sanding it smooth. I eventually, in a fit of madness, sanded most of the tru oil off the back of the neck and gave it a very light coat of boiled linseed oil instead, I think I got the idea from an earlier video of yours. It felt perfect and for my next build (a from scratch 24" single p90 rustic project made from a bunch of scrap wood) I'm definitely doing the neck on boiled linseed oil. Still debating what to use for the body but I'll burn that bridge when I get there 🤣
And don’t you just love the smell of linseed oil? I do anyway.
Thank you so much. I just love your videos.
If you haven’t seen it yet, Stumpy Nubs (my favorite woodworker on here) has a video about the contents of ‘Tung oil finish’.
I have been a fan of boiled linseed oil for many years although I like to mix it with pure turpentine - works really well. Must be pure turps not the mineral type which I think is called mineral spirits in the US.
Nice!Thanks!
No problem!
I just love Tung oil on my necks, especially with Maple necks. If you have a good sanded maple neck there,s nothing smoother feeling than Tung oil. I don't have much experience with boiled linseed but I could imagine it being more or less the same. I used Laquerd fret boards as wel but didn't like them as much. And a fat laquered Neck feels like plastic to me and also feels a little less smooth. But, to each his own. The only thing is it takes a little bit more maintenance in cleaning.
Helpful!
Glad you think so!
Thanks for this. I want to build my own Tele because I just don’t like any of my options from Fender, Squier, G&L, etc in the sub $1000 range and I absolutely refuse to spend more than $1000 on a guitar as simple as a Tele.
Right now I’m leaning towards a Warmoth neck for a 3+3 headstock and they seem to be well regarded in terms of quality. Price for a simple maple/maple neck is reasonable until you get to the finishing options, none of which I like so I thought I’d do it myself. I’m very pleasantly surprised to see that the process is as simple as it is.
Oddly enough I’m trying to get a neck feel to match a Squier I have. In appearance the neck looks like a raw, very finely sanded piece of maple, but it doesn’t have the dry and chalky feel that raw wood can have. It’s wonderfully smooth… not “silky” or sticky, but just right. Now I’m guessing they use a product like what you’re describing to finish their necks because I have to assume that it’s dramatically less expensive than poly/nitro/whatever finishes.
Thanks!
Tanks, Matt! I really appreciate the tip. Take care and I hope my videos will help and inspire you.
I love hardwax oil finishes like Osmo poly x or Saico
Very much enjoyed your talk on the boiled linseed oil. I have a few new necks to prepare for later use and I am going to use this oil and see what happens. I do have a question. After you have sealed the neck, do you scuff the back of the neck lightly or do you just leave it alone, as is?
You did a video years ago about applying BLO with Japan Dryer...I followed those directions on the very first guitar I built and to this day it's the silkiest, smoothest neck I've done. Over the years I've tried all the rest, Lacquer, poly, tru-oil but I always go back to the simple BLO. My question to you is, do you still apply it the same way now? You mentioned waiting a week between coats in this video, back then you basically said it was good to go the next day or so which is how I've been doing it. I know you update your techniques occassionally, any thoughts on this?
Hi, what is blo? And japan dryer?
@@losangulos Boiled Linseen Oil lol = BLO and Japan drier is just an accelerant drying agent.
Hint:L Use google
You were great in Wayne's World
yup, we appreciate! (btw, the link for shirts/store is only pulling up youtube and vids)
It works fine on my end.
Love your craftsmanship... Thanks for the tips...
I finished the back of my neck with Tru oil, is that anything close? Maple on Maple neck.
I like the look of lacquer but the feel of unfinished with years and years of use. After that the human oils condition it so well and it has the best feeling.
13:55 ,I'd like to think that the moment any player finds out how damaging it is to have grime, grit, dirt and even dust on a fret board and strings is the moment they start wiping down/cleaning;... the frets/fingerboard at the very least.👍 (I'm not sure if the increased fret wear & worse still fret slot damage is common knowledge:(, i very rarely hear it detailed,... people do love a "relic" look tho:)
One, Tone & Sustain have absolutely nothing to do with the body's wood, nor does it have anything to with the wood on the Fretboard. Tone on all electric, guitars comes 100% from the guitar pickups. Sustain has to do with the bridge saddles and the nut. However, The string trees are said to have an effect on the Sustain. I'm pretty sure the quality or type of metal that's used for the frets would have a lot to do with sustain as well.
Great video with a lot of education offered here. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Peace.
So how come the tone changes when I change the pot and/or cap values?
@@HighlineGuitars Pots can and do make a difference, as do capacitors. Thanks for pointing that out.
But the pickups will sound exactly the same if they're attached to a 2x4 piece of wood. So many people think a strat sounds different that a Les Paul. Some say it's because of the wood. But it only has to do with the pickups. Place that same humbucker into a strat and get the tone of that les paul. But again, you're correct when you mentioned the different pots. But a 500 cts pot with an orange drop capacitor will sound the same no matter what guitar you throw them in. Peace..
@@thebluesrockers When you wrote "100%," I said to myself, "Now hold on there. The cap and the pots have a say as well." So I would say pickups account for 80-85% of the ton. Beyond that, I totally agree with you.
@@HighlineGuitars hahaha, I have no doubt that you would agree with me. you sure as hell no your stuff. great video by the way. I just bought a cheap, squire sonic and I'm going to have to fix the tone of that neck. you sure taught me how to do it. thanks for all your time, and effort teaching us these tricks of the trade. Peace..
I've been trying to work on using only grain alcohol when possible in place of naptha or mineral spirits. I haven't tried it yet but I would think the 150ish proof grain alcohol would be great for cleaning up fret boards, it's amazing how much more mild that is and by extension how much more aggressive the 190ish proof grain alcohol can be, and it's nice knowing there is absolutely no BS in there and it's totally non toxic. Along that same non toxic line of thinking, I wonder if mineral oil could work effectively as a conditioner for fretboards since it works so well for cutting boards.
I've heard good things about grain alcohol. Other luthiers use it as well. I will probably give it a try myself. As for mineral oil, it never dries so it will attract dirt and grime.
Great video! May I ask how you approach sanding when it cures? I've always found penetrating oils to finish unevenly / blotchily
the only things I have discovered that affect tone and sustain are tone woods, wood density, precise layout, and bridge work. Assuming your guitar is good wood and density the layout of bridge mounting is critical for intonation and playablity. Centerline of the string path (you can't always trust the center of a glue joint unless you made the body), and the octave measurement are important. Bridge work? Leo Fender thought on solid body guitars getting the vibration into the end grain of the wood will add sustain. Before his death he patented a bridge called the saddle lock bridge. It does 2 things; 1. it locks the individual pieces of a tunable bridge into one structure. and 2. the bridge has a cleat cast into the underside the requires a router cut to install. This cleat introduce the vibrations of all the strings (they're locked into one after intonation) into the end grain of the wood. My experience as a player is I have to manage the sustain or it will over run the chord changes. This is something I've never had to do. Since many player customize their guitars or build partsocasters I thought more info about sustain would be a valid idea. For finishes, paint it, oil it, make it as you like. If the guitar is make good tone and good sustain paint won't matter. If it's not making good sounds, paint won't matter then either
Fantastic in depth explanation of boiled lindseed oil I had not heard of for fretbeard finishing. I had always assumed lemon oil (whatever that is) was the go-to finish. Should one avoid it? I have also enjoyed your past video on using Japan Drier mixed into boiled lindseed oil for necks. Is that combo also something one might use for fretboards? BTW I bought your plans for the buffer and I am in process of building it while i wait for the finish to cure to begin final level/polish sanding. Love the plans you make! I have the pickup winder plans too but have not started on it yet.
Lemon oil for guitars is not a drying oil, so it has to be reapplied every so often. Boiled linseed oil is a drying oil, so it lasts much longer.
If you're looking for a polymerised tung oil check out Lee Valley. It is more expensive than linseed oil, but it is excellent (and isn't so far out there price wise to make it too expensive for a guitar). I use it regularly for furniture making and love it.
It's made by Sutherland Welles.
@@HighlineGuitars ha, I had no idea. LV’s HQ is only a few mins from my studio so it’s an easy source for me.
Excellent! You told the truth without offending those with a 'need' to believe in alchemy and magic. All second rate musicians fall into the gear trap, whether they are rock, jazz, or classical hobbyists, and regardless of whether they play guitars, brass instruments or percussion. Those who 'can' play...DO! And those who can't...SPEND MONEY IN LIEU OF PRODUCTIVE PRACTICE!
Brass...'hobbyists' think (amongst many other absurdities) that mouthpiece material, LOL, or the metal composition of an instrument bell can be heard and identified generally as causing a darker or brighter sound (or drummers who think the shell or its coating matters) when blind tests prove that...THERE IS NO DISCERNABLE DIFFERENCE! They make carbon fiber trumpets!
The good of it is, that the rest of us never run out of bridges to sell to these people. Capitalism!
Hey Chris, great video! Have you used boiled linseed oil or Tung oil on rosewood fingerboards or do you just use it on maple? I’ve just recently used Waterlox on a maple neck with really nice results, it is also available in gloss and satin too. It’s a kind of similar product to boiled linseed oil and it dries reasonably hard. Thanks!
@4:01
I have learned from my own experience because I love shaving the back of my necks, Tung oil in thin coats for me all the way.
Great topic as always... I have a Fender Strat neck that is roasted maple with a gloss frettboard.. I recently used steel wool to remove the gloss on the board, and it looks and feels beautiful.. satin look and feel.. did I just dull the laquer finish to a satin, or did I remove the laquer to the wood? It was a VERY shiney finish that had the feel you spoke of.. I am hoping the coat is gone for good...
Dulling a clear coat with steel wool is usually only temporary since the gloss will come back as your fingers rub the surface. Satin and/or flat clear coats are formulated with flattening agents to keep their sheen even after they have been rubbed repeatedly.
Very informative sir ..try osmo polyx hardware oil too
I would if it wasn't so expensive.
Watco oil is pretty nice too, really brings out the grain in the wood, especially figured maples. Watco is a blend of BLO, additional resins and solvents. Just dispose of the rags properly, just like BLO.
I used to use Watco until they were bought by Rustoleum and the formula changed.
@@HighlineGuitars How did the formula change?
@@joem6859 I don't know. I'm not a chemist.
@@HighlineGuitars Why do you think the formula was changed?? Just curious.
@@joem6859 it doesn’t work like it used to.
I'm sure your oil coat works perfectly, but I've never had good luck with oil. I used name brand tung oil (Formby, if I recall) on a few necks years ago, including a nice solid rosewood neck, and it never seemed to harden. Took the rosewood neck out of the 'extra necks' box recently, and it's still sticky. I've been trying to find good ways to remove the sticky tung oil without having to sand it all off. I've been wondering if stock 'paint remover' would be too brutal.
Oil based ( alkyd )varnish on maple , boiled linseed oil on rosewood or pau ferro or cocobolo
I don't use oil-based alkyd varnish, but I may try Target Coatings water-based alkyd varnish with a cross-linker. Kind of pricey, but it would last a while.
daM!!! your intro read my mind!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Chris. Curious, if you want to add some color to your neck or maple fretboard (ie vintage amber) what type of product would you use and would you lay it down first or mix directly with the boiled linseed oil? Thanks!
I would mix it into the BLO and I would use an aniline dye.
So to clarify, neck is raw and sanded to 220-320. 3 coats of B.l.o. Fully wiped down after a couple minutes during application, but no sanding/buffing anywhere in the process? Thanks for all you do helping folks trying to learn this stuff.
No sanding or buffing anywhere in the process.
Thanks for the great video! I noticed you didn’t mention the Japan drier like in the past. Have you steered away from using it, and if so why?
I only use it if I'm in a hurry.
I can only find the polymerized tung oil on that website for exterior, and I wish you would show us a finished product! You seem to know what you're talking about but I think I would go crazy waiting for something to dry that long so if you don't mind a bit of Sheen on your neck what do you suggest for somebody who's a little more impatient? The other thing I was going to ask is what if you want to put a little bit of stain on it first to give it kind of a vintage look? Last time I tried this I messed up because I used oil-based water-based oil-based water-based or half the time I didn't really know what I was using since a lot of products don't really even specify, well at least the ones you find in the local hardware store, not to mention I did not realize as dry as the fretboard looked it already had a satin polyurethane which and I wound up having to sand everything off down to the bare wood so now I'm at square One. And I'm noticing I have much harder wood but I'm really at a loss for how to stain and then put a nice finish on and you seem to know the ropes pretty well haha well maybe I'll get an answer thanks harder work
From my own experience, tru-oil, polyurethane, and urethane in time will need stripping, linseed, and tung oil wipe clean, and new coat can be applied
Chris - do you do any one piece necks? I saw on this that it is maple and maple but wasn’t 100% if it was a one piece neck. If you do, I would love to see how you do skunk stripes etc with the CNC.
No, I don't make one-piece necks. I only make two-piece necks with modern two way truss rods.
Thanks for an interesting video. I have lacquered maple neck and want to remove the lacquer, does anybody know how is that done? ❤
Thanks for the video, perfect timing! I'm just about to finish a maple neck, but I'm afraid of using Linseed oil as I think it will give it to a slight yellowish color that I don't want to. Do you think there are any other options to keep the original color of the wood?
Any liquid you apply to the neck will change its color. BLO will change it the least. Test on scrap first.
Great stuff Chris, couldn't agree more. What about a neck who's fretboard has already been lacquered? How best to strip it down and start over?
I don’t know. I don’t restore, refinish, or repair guitars. I only make brand new ones.
@@HighlineGuitarsThank you sir. I think I figured it out as this video spun up. The naptha gave me a start at neutering the glossy crap
i'm looking for a good and natural fretboard conditioner (just got 2 new guitars with rosewood boards) but my wife is allergic to etheric oils and chemical odours...so what can i use...??...i got some of "taylors" fretboard conditioner as it says it's all natural and without chemicals...but i'm still a bit sceptical....
I feel like an unfinished neck and body resonates more. I really like when you can feel the guitar vibrating against your body and I seem to get that a bit more when the guitar doesn't have a clear coat or lacquer especially on the neck.
If you can feel the vibration against your body, you're killing the tone and sustain.
@@HighlineGuitars So you're saying the strings need a stable base that doesn't vibrate so all the energy goes to the strings? I never really thought of it that way.
@@Stratisfied22 Yes. If you feel the vibration, your body is acting like a giant mute. If there is nothing to absorb the string's vibration as it passes through the wood (your body as an absorber), much of that vibration will return to the strings. It can also affect the magnetic field of the pickups, which can impact the signal they generate and thus the tone of the instrument.
Hi Chris! Love your channel. Is boiled linseed oil a good choice for a mahogany neck? If so, would you have to fill the grain of the mahogany before applying the linseed oil? Thanks!
I never bother with filling the grain on my mahogany necks. If you feel it’s necessary, consider wet sanding the BLO into the wood. Add a little polyurethane as a binder and you’ll fill the grain nicely.
@@HighlineGuitars thanks so much for your reply and advice! I asked a similar question on one of your other videos with and additional question (I’ll delete the comment from the other video) about whether BLO is a good finish for the mahogany portion of a Les Paul body. What are your thoughts/experience about this?
Hi Chris
Great channel. I’m refinishing a 2006 Jackson Dinky and was wondering if you might have an opinion on using the linseed oil on the fret board while leaving the original finish on the neck. I’ve replaced the micarta inlays with ebony so I had to sand the fret board down.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Sorry, I don't have an opinion on this. My channel is focused on new builds rather than repairs, refinishing, or restorations.
I’d love to hear your opinion on Tru Oil. I haven’t used it yet and I know some people speak very highly, but I’m curious.
I think it's a good option if you want a high gloss finish, but lack spray equipment.
It's the kind of wood that has an effect. Rosewood is slightly warmer than roasted maple, and roasted maple isn't as bright as regular maple. Another YT'r proved this perfectly. If the finish has an effect on tone, it's so negligible that even a spectrometer cannot tell the difference when played.
I know which video you are referring to. It's doesn't prove anything because you can compare five necks, each with Rosewood fretboards, and they will all sound different. That's just how wood is. Tone isn't determined by species, it's determined by the specific board. Also, a fretboard can change from one day to the next as humidity levels fluctuate. I can say these things because I have made hundreds of guitars and have experienced them many times.
Hello is it possible to have an amber colored neck with the use of linseed oil? or do you have to dye the wood first and then apply linseed oil? and if so what kind of dye to use with linseed oil? thank you
I believe any finish will amber over time when exposed to uv light. Ive done it on a few of my basses. Leave them in front of a window on a stand for a few months and they will darken.
I guess a finish has to have a small amount of flex in the cured resins otherwise it would crack like crazy paving. Although that's desirable in certain circles on aged bodies.
Thanks again for the useful info! I'm considering Danish oil over an ebony fingerboard, since I already have both at home. Any downsides?
Not that I know of. I would test on some scrap ebony to make sure it doesn't dry sticky.
Would this work if you had previously colored the neck with Colortone stain and denatured alcohol?
Brilliant video Chris - Thank you! Just one very quick question (if you have time) - Do you prefer to apply the BLO on the Fingerboard 'Before or After' Fret Installation?
Thank you. Warm regards Jon.
After. It's easier. Wipe it on, let it sit for 30 minutes, and wipe off the excess. BLO can't soak into the frets, so it wipes right off.
@@HighlineGuitars Thank you Chris and for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated.
Greetings - Very interesting video. I'd like your opinion please ... I have a headless Ibanez Quest with a Birds Eye maple fingerboard which appears lacquered with matte product and I'm considering removing the lacquer and using linseed oil on it instead. Would 0000 steel wool do the trick or am I asking for trouble? I'm also hoping there won't be visible vertical lines running crossgrain after sanding. Thanks!
Don't use actual steel wool. It leaves fine particles which can be difficult to get off and they can stick to the pickup magnets. Use synthetic pads like Norton synthetic steel wool pads instead.
In the previous video, you used Japan Drier first to accelerate the drying time. Would you still recommend the use of Japan Drier on maple fretboard. Also, do you put down Japan Drier for the start of each coat?
I prefer to mix it in before applying it.
Hi, what are your thoughts on using bee's wax polish for the neck and fretboard?
I prefer pure carnauba wax. It's harder and lasts longer.
Tounge oil here. I like the way the wood still breaths.
😂 Wood doesn’t breathe. It doesn’t have a respiratory system. Wood can only absorb and expel airborne moisture (humidity) and that is bad.
Question.. Can I use boiled Linseed oil, or Tru oil on my finished neck?
And if I did would it darken it? Or is this just a bad idea all together.
I'd love a fast fix for my squire neck. But there's probably not one is there?
You can use both and yes, it will darken the wood.
@@HighlineGuitars I just bought one of those Squire Sonic guitars with the pale maple fretboards. how should I go about using the tru oil, or the boiled linseed oil on my finished neck? Will I need to wait a few days before I can play it? Or just wipe it off and string it after a few hours?
Thank you for helping me out with this information. Peace. Joe
@@thebluesrockers czcams.com/video/rlkfUoWLH_o/video.html
You did it again. I can feel the buzzing on the internet. I use BLO on tool handles and rosewood boards as I have never seen an unfinished maple neck. A shovel handle will polish to a gloss when used hard. Are there any risks of warping when maple is not totally sealed? I have read on the Warmoth forums about burnishing the back of a neck with BLO. Making your own BLO is a rabbit hole to avoid. (Oil purists)
Like everything related to guitars and guitar building, fretboard finishing is often overthought beyond all sense of reality.
I don’t have enough experience with oiled necks, but I do have experience with fully lacquered necks warping. Point is, just because a neck is lacquered doesn’t mean it won’t warp.
I know a guy that uses CA glue on the fretboard to protect it, will actually apply 6 coats. Not sure about that way. I like the idea of using BLO.
I've used CA glue and it works well. However, the fumes are murderous.
I recently played a henrik D signature charvel, the neck was the best maple I ever played. It had the grip of a rosewood fretboard though it has a satin finish. Would linseed oil give a similar “close to the wood” feel?
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I have seen a video of someone using superglue to seal the fret board. The result was super shiny and supposedly very durable. Not tried it myself though.
I prefer a un lacquered neck myself
I would love to see that. I need a good laugh this morning!
@@HighlineGuitars It's true, lol. I've seen videos of people doing it on fretless basses mostly and you can find it by searching "fretless bass superglue neck." Some do it with epoxy as well.
@@burp1914 I've tried it. It's AWFUL! Not only is it an expensive way to finish a fretboard, but the fumes are overwhelming. No mask or respirator will help.
Hey Chris.. . New to your channel. Rosewood fretboards. What would you recommend, Cleaning off Sweat, dirt, crud. On the fretboard. That active, Playing a lot, guitar players accumulate between string changes. Or possibly something, Once, twice a month. conditioning. I'm constantly wiping down my guitar neck, during a night performance. Still, dirt, sweat, builds up. Any and all recommendation, appreciated. BTY.. a Satin finish. Much desirable. Less friction. Thanks Chris.. .
Clean with naphtha. If you can't get naphtha, use a citrus based cleaner. Condition with boiled linseed oil.